The Customs of Zayin Adar

Today is the 7th of Adar in the Jewish calendar, or Zayin Adar as it is mentioned in Hebrew, the day when Moshe Rabbeinu was born (in 1393 BCE) and also died 120 years later (1273 BCE). It says that the great tzadikkim are meant to die the day they were born and so it´s the case of Moshe Rabbeinu. Gd himself buried him (Megillah 13b) in an unknown place, on the territory of nowadays Jordan, probably at Beit Peor. Why the place was not known, because of Moshe´s high level of prophecy and the possible danger of idolatry. The people of Israel were on their journey to reach the land Gd had promised and they did not need a reason to stop. They had to follow Yehoshua and reach their destination. ´A generation passes on and a new generation comes´...(Koheles 1:4) 

This week in synagogues the portion Tetzaveh is read, the only one in the Torah which does not mention the name of Moses and there is a long and interesting discussion about what are the possible interpretations of this fact. 

Zayin Adar means for the Askenazi Jews (I would be curious to find out more about similar customs among Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews but as for now I was not able to find anything similar) also a holiday for Chevra Kadisha, the sacred society in charge with the burial according to the Jewish law. Of course people dying on this day will be served accordingly. Symbolically though, it is considered that as Gd himself burried Moshe, Chevra Kadisha is having it´s own break. In some organisation, they may fast - as an atonement for any inadvertent disrespect displayed towards the dead -, followed by a special banquet when funds are collected and commemorate the memory of people deceased in the last year. One of the customs is also to eat fish, a food kabalistically associated with the happy month of Adar.

Cheva Kadisha is a specific Jewish organisation in Eastern Europe whose aim is to prepare the body for burial and prevent the desecration. It should watch over the body (shmira) from the moment of the death until the burial - which according to the Jewish tradition occurs within hours after the death and prepare the purification (tahara) of the body which is traditionally gender-separated. The members, which are traditionally compound of volunteers, have to avoid trivial conversations during the body preparation; it is said that the soul departing the body is watching and might not be get offended. 

Being member of the sacred society is considered a highly religious priviledge, as performing a honor that cannot be returned. The very respected 18th century European rabbi Hatam Sofer was one of the volunteers. In some cases, especially in the USA, where the societies were introduced in the 19th century, they also organise various other services supporting the families of the deceased during the shiva, with minyan for the prayer services, arranging for the meals etc. The members should be knowledgeable in the Jewish law regarding burials and once the year at last they got updates about various new regulations and rabbinical decisions in this respect.